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Going the extra mile(s) can help you run more efficiently at every distance—even if you dread it sometimes.

Ah, long runs: We love to hate ‘em. Or maybe we love to love ‘em—depends on who you ask. Either way, the long run is the cornerstone of any half marathon or marathon training plan, but it can be equally important to your 5K and 10K training. No races on your calendar? No problem. A long run can still be beneficial for your overall fitness and mental health.

But if you don’t understand the long run, you may miss out on all of the magic it has to offer. So we put together this ultimate guide to one of the best training tools you have in your arsenal.

What’s the point of the long run?

The benefit of running long—regardless of the distance you’re training for—is the aerobic gain you’ll make during those miles. “Long runs force the body to become more and more efficient,” says Ben Rosario, head coach and founder of the HOKA NAZ Elite team in Flagstaff, AZ. “The heart learns to pump higher amounts of blood with each stroke, which then carries more oxygen to the body.”

Aerobic (or endurance) running also strengthens your slow-twitch muscle fibers, which can fire repeatedly with minimal fatigue (compared to fast-twitch fibers, which are used during short, explosive efforts but fatigue more quickly). These fibers are also important because they’re full of capillaries, mitochondria, and myoglobin (an iron- and oxygen-binding protein), all of which are crucial to getting a steady supply of oxygen and energy to the muscles.

“Long runs force the body to create new capillaries, giving the oxygen a smoother and faster path to the mitochondria—a.k.a. the ‘power plant’ of the cells—where energy is produced and stored. And when we run for long periods of time, the size of those mitochondria increases, allowing them to produce and store more energy,” explains Rosario.

One of the other major benefits of the long run is how it teaches your body to use fat as fuel over carbs, says Joe McConkey, a Boston-based exercise physiologist and USATF-certified running coach. “That allows you to be more efficient with your different forms of energy, so you can run faster without depleting your reserves.”

Translation: The long run prepares your body to run more efficiently no matter the distance—even in a short race, when you need energy to be produced and oxygen sent throughout the body fast.

And you can’t overlook the mental angle: To prepare for the psychological challenge of racing for hours, you have to train for hours. Even if you’re not racing, a long run offers your mind the chance to tap into the ever-elusive runner’s high, and research shows running can boost your mood and improve your mental health.

What to Watch Out for On a Long Run

A long run is, inherently, long. And the more time you spend on your feet, the more stress you put on your body. “The long run does ask a lot of our muscles, tendons, and ligaments due to the duration of exercise required for a run to be considered ‘long’,” says Rosario. 
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Generally, your cardiovascular system adapts to changes more quickly than your musculoskeletal system. So if you start running long before your body is prepared to run long, you could put yourself at an increased risk for injury, including overuse injuries like plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, runners’ knee, iliotibial band (ITB) syndrome, and shin splints.

“If you’re experiencing any little niggles or asymmetries before the long run, the long run will only make those worse with the thousands and thousands of steps you’re putting on your body,” says McConkey. It’s super important to listen to your body and, if you feel like something is off during the long run, acknowledge that it may be more major than you think. “The only sensations you should feel during a long run are a slight challenge aerobically as it gets longer, and general fatigue or a sort of bilateral soreness,” he adds.

Gear You Need for a Long Run

Running is a pretty simple sport in terms of gear, but when you start clocking over 60 minutes, there are some important things you’ll want with you beyond a good pair of shoes.

The most important addition is a way to carry fuel and hydration, whether that’s a running belt, a handheld water carrier, or a pack.

How Long Should Your Long Run Be?

There’s a huge amount of variation in how long a long run should be, depending on the type of runner you are.

Some coaches suggest long runs cover one-and-a-half to two times the distance of what you consider a normal-length run. Most experts, like Jack Daniels, agree that a long run be about 20 to 25 percent of your overall weekly mileage. So if you’re running 40 miles per week, your long run will be 8 to 10 miles.

“I typically don’t like the long run to be more than twice the length of a regular recovery run,” says McConkey (in general, recovery runs last about 25 to 40 minutes). According to the Road Runners Club of America, a long run technically isn’t a “long run” unless it’s over 90 minutes, so the exact distance depends on your running pace.

But your long-run distance becomes more specific if you’re training for a certain distance. Remember: You need to go further (and slower) in order to run faster at shorter distances. Most experts recommend working up to the below peak long run for each distance:

5K: 5 to 6 miles for beginners; 10 to 12 miles for intermediate/advanced

8K/10K: 6 to 10 miles for beginners; 12 to 14 for intermediate/advanced

Half marathon: 12 to 13 for beginners; 16 to 18 for intermediate/advanced

Marathon: 18 to 22 for beginners; 18 to 30 for intermediate/advanced

Yes, some of those distances are longer than the race itself. “But logging those miles shows you’ve spent enough time at sub-max speeds to allow the necessary aerobic adaptations to happen,” he explains.

How Fast Should Your Long Run Be?

No matter the distance, your long run should be run at an easy pace, says McConkey. We will repeat: easy pace! What does that translate to? It’ll be different for every runner, but an easy pace should fall on the lower end of the rate of perceived exertion scale. Your heart rate should be 50 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate, and you should be breathing naturally and able to hold a conversation effortlessly.

"I advise people to run as slow as possible, as long as it’s mechanically comfortable,” McConkey explains. “I challenge people to not look at pace until they’re done, but just focus on something comfortable. You shouldn’t feel like you’re doing slow-motion single-leg squats; there should still be some spring to your step.”

That pace is going to change as your fitness changes. “When you develop more strength and running efficiency, you’ll be able to run faster at the same RPE or heart rate,” says McConkey.

For shorter distances, long runs can generally be slow and enjoyable, says Rosario. But half marathoners and marathoners should approach their long runs with a little more structure. “Half marathoners and marathoners, in my opinion, should be adding faster-paced running into most of their long runs: things like alternating fast-pace and medium-pace miles, surging for two minutes at the beginning of each mile, or simply running the last 5K of their long run really fast,” says Rosario. This is important, because it helps train your legs to get used to running fast even with lots of miles on them—and that will help at the end of races.

How to Recover From a Long Run

You may run your long run at an easier pace, but the sheer amount of time you’re spending on your feet warrants more rest and recovery.

For starters, “the quicker an athlete can replenish after a long run, the sooner they will recover,” says Rosario. “Shoot for a mix of carbs and protein, preferably at a 4:1 carbs to protein ratio—that particular ratio has been shown in labs to be the most effective at replenishing muscle glycogen stores and thus limiting muscle damage.”

McConkey recommends taking the day off after a long run. “Instead of running, just walk around for 20 to 30 minutes and spend 10 minutes on a foam roller to open up your body,” he says. “Those two things can really expedite recovery.” In fact, foam rolling was shown to reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness while enhancing muscle recovery in a study published in the Journal of Athletic Training. 


As for other trendy recovery modalities, do what feels good to you. Compression boots can also lead to recovery benefits, a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found. Ice baths were shown to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness in a scientific review by researchers at the Cochrane Library. And massage helped reduce pain intensity in runners’ quads in a study from the Journal of Physiotherapy.

Most importantly, prioritize a good night’s sleep—new research from the International Journal of Sports Medicine argues it may be the single most important factor in exercise recovery. After all, that’s where the real recovery magic happens, when your body truly has time to rest and rebuild.

After years of battling injury and uncertainty, Jake Heyward is proving that resilience can be just as powerful as raw talent. The Welsh middle-distance star has announced his return to the sport in emphatic fashion, producing the performance of his career and emerging as one of the athletes to watch in the men's mile at the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

At the London Diamond League, Heyward delivered a sensational run, finishing as the second-fastest British athlete behind mile world record-holder Josh Kerr. His time of 3:46.73 not only established a new Welsh record but also elevated him to third on the United Kingdom's all-time mile rankings, trailing only Kerr and British legend Steve Cram.

For many athletes, such a breakthrough would simply mark another career milestone. For Heyward, however, it represents the culmination of an extraordinary journey back from one of the toughest periods of his life.

The 26-year-old revealed that before undergoing surgery, he had been competing while suffering from Haglund's deformity, a painful condition affecting the heel that placed constant strain on both Achilles tendons. The problem eventually led to a devastating double Achilles injury, forcing him away from competition for an astonishing 20 months.

Rather than allowing the setback to define him, Heyward used the prolonged rehabilitation to rebuild both physically and mentally. Reflecting on that difficult chapter, he believes the experience has transformed his outlook on the sport.

"I truly believe that, because I've gone through this experience and I've had to ask myself certain questions, I actually understand the sport more. In terms of expectations and times, I'm super excited. I think there's no limit on what I can achieve. Running for Wales once again is a huge motivation."

Those words now carry even greater weight after his record-breaking performance in London.

Heyward's resurgence has injected fresh excitement into British middle-distance running and has positioned him as a genuine contender heading into Glasgow. With renewed confidence, a healthier body, and a deeper appreciation of the sport forged through adversity, he appears ready to challenge the world's best once again.

His journey from nearly two years on the sidelines to becoming Wales' fastest-ever miler is a powerful reminder that some of the greatest victories are earned long before the finish line. If his recent form is any indication, Jake Heyward's comeback story may only be just beginning, and the Commonwealth Games could provide the perfect stage for its next unforgettable chapter.

Australian sprint sensation Torrie Lewis continues to redefine the limits of her remarkable young career after storming to a stunning 11.04 seconds in the women's 100 metres at the TIPOS P-T-S Meeting in Slovakia, setting a new Australian record in breathtaking fashion.

Lewis sliced 0.04 seconds off her own previous national record of 11.08, producing the fastest performance ever by an Australian woman over the distance. Her blistering run confirmed that her rise is no fleeting moment—it is the arrival of one of the world's most exciting sprint talents.

The race itself was a spectacle from start to finish. Lewis exploded from the blocks, held her composure through the drive phase, and unleashed a powerful finish to edge one of the greatest sprinters in history, Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica, who crossed the line in 11.06. Austria's Christania Williams also clocked 11.06, making it one of the most fiercely contested 100-metre races of the meeting.

Beyond the victory, the performance carries even greater significance. Lowering a national record is never easy, especially after already establishing yourself as the country's fastest woman. Yet Lewis demonstrated that she is still finding new levels, delivering a performance that signals she is becoming an increasingly serious contender on the international stage.

The 11.04 clocking is another milestone in a season that continues to gather momentum. With every race, Lewis is proving she possesses not only exceptional speed but also the consistency and composure needed to challenge the world's elite when the stakes are highest.

As global championship season approaches, Australia's sprint star has sent a powerful message to her rivals. If this latest record-breaking performance is any indication, Torrie Lewis is only beginning to reveal the full extent of her potential, and the fastest chapters of her career may still lie ahead.

Some moments in sport transcend generations. They remind us that while records may fall, the spirit of greatness never fades. One such moment unfolded when legendary New Zealand coach Arch Jelley watched Josh Kerr produce a breathtaking 3:42.66 mile world record—not from the stands, but from his bed, sharing the historic occasion with his former athlete, 1988 Olympian Christine Pfitzinger, herself once New Zealand's mile and 1500m record holder.

For most fans, Kerr's astonishing performance was simply another unforgettable chapter in the evolution of middle-distance running. For Jelley, however, it was something far more profound. It was a bridge between two eras separated by more than half a century, connecting the glorious past he helped shape with the remarkable future he lived long enough to witness.

As he approaches his 104th birthday on August 13, Jelley has seen the mile transformed in ways few people ever will. Long before modern technology, advanced sports science and super shoes reshaped the event, he guided one of athletics' greatest pioneers.

On August 12, 1975, in Gothenburg, Sweden, Jelley coached Sir John Walker to a revolutionary 3:49.4, making him the first man in history to break the seemingly impossible 3:50 barrier for the mile. It was a performance that changed the sport forever and cemented Walker's place among the all-time greats. Less than a year later, Walker crowned that success by winning the Olympic 1500m gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Games, fulfilling the promise of one of the finest coach-athlete partnerships athletics has ever known.

Yet Walker was only one chapter in Jelley's extraordinary coaching legacy.

Across more than six decades, the master coach nurtured and inspired countless elite middle- and long-distance runners, earning a reputation for developing athletes through patience, wisdom and an unwavering belief in their potential. Even retirement could not keep him away from the sport he loved. At the remarkable age of 93, Jelley returned to coaching to help Hamish Carson qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, proving that passion for excellence has no expiration date.

Now, more than fifty years after witnessing Walker redefine what was possible, Jelley has watched another runner push the boundaries of human performance. Josh Kerr's magnificent 3:42.66 was not merely a new world record—it was another milestone in the endless pursuit of greatness, one observed by a man who has devoted almost an entire lifetime to that very journey.

There is something beautifully symbolic about the scene: a coach who once stood trackside guiding history now watching a new generation rewrite it through the lens of modern technology. The setting may have changed, but the emotion remains the same.

Few people in athletics can claim to have witnessed the evolution of the mile from the dawn of the sub-3:50 era to today's astonishing world-record performances. Arch Jelley can.

His life is more than a coaching story—it is a living timeline of the mile itself. From John Walker's historic breakthrough in 1975 to Josh Kerr's record-shattering masterpiece in 2026, Jelley has remained a constant witness to the relentless pursuit of human excellence, proving that while champions come and go, the love of the sport endures across every generation.

When Sir Roger Bannister crossed the finish line in Oxford on May 6, 1954, in 3:59.4, he did far more than become the first man to run a sub-four-minute mile. He demolished one of sport's greatest psychological barriers, proving that what had long been considered impossible was simply waiting for someone bold enough to achieve it.

More than seven decades later, that historic run remains the most famous mile ever raced—not because it is still the fastest, but because it transformed athletics forever. Bannister's achievement inspired generations of runners to dream bigger, train harder and believe that seemingly unreachable barriers could be broken.

Today, however, the mile has entered an entirely different dimension.

Josh Kerr's sensational 3:42.66 world record has redefined the limits of middle-distance running. In one unforgettable race, the Scottish star erased Hicham El Guerrouj's legendary 3:43.13 mark that had stood untouched since 1999, proving once again that every era has its athlete capable of rewriting history.

The numbers tell a remarkable story of progress. If Bannister's iconic 3:59.4 were placed in the same race as Kerr's 3:42.66, the man who first conquered the sub-four-minute barrier would finish almost 17 seconds behind. At the pace Kerr sustained, that deficit would amount to well over 100 metres—an extraordinary margin in an event where the world's best are often separated by hundredths of a second.

Yet those statistics should never be mistaken for a comparison of greatness. Bannister and Kerr competed in vastly different eras, under different conditions and with entirely different levels of sports science, training knowledge, footwear technology and track surfaces. Bannister raced on a cinder track wearing heavy leather spikes, balancing elite athletics with his demanding medical studies. Kerr benefits from decades of scientific advancement, world-class support systems and cutting-edge equipment that have helped athletes push the boundaries of human performance.

Every generation has added another chapter to the mile's extraordinary story. Just weeks after Bannister's breakthrough, Australia's John Landy lowered the record to 3:57.9. The baton then passed through legendary names including Derek Ibbotson, Herb Elliott, Peter Snell, Michel Jazy, Jim Ryun, Filbert Bayi, John Walker, Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett, Steve Cram, Noureddine Morceli and Hicham El Guerrouj. Each champion dared to believe the record could fall again, leaving the event stronger than they found it.

Josh Kerr is now the latest custodian of that legacy. His world record is not simply another fast time—it is the culmination of more than 80 years of relentless progress. Every stride he took was built upon the courage, ambition and achievements of those who came before him.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the mile is how dramatically its meaning has changed. In 1954, the world was captivated by one question: Could anyone ever run under four minutes? Today, the conversation has shifted to how much further the event can evolve. With Kerr already under 3:43, the now-unthinkable prospect of a sub 3:42 mile no longer feels like fantasy but a genuine possibility for the future.

That is the enduring beauty of athletics. Every world record eventually falls, but the performances that redefine belief never fade. Bannister's sub-four-minute mile remains the sport's most iconic breakthrough because it changed the way humanity viewed its own limits. Kerr's 3:42.66 is the newest benchmark of excellence, standing as proof that the impossible is never permanent—it is simply the starting point for the next generation.

Josh Kerr has already etched his name into athletics history with a breathtaking world mile record of 3:42.66, but the numbers hidden within that extraordinary performance suggest an even greater achievement could be just around the corner.

While the world celebrated the fastest mile ever run, another remarkable statistic quietly emerged. On his way to that historic finish, Kerr passed the 1,500m mark in an astonishing 3:27.62—the seventh-fastest performance ever recorded over the distance and just 1.62 seconds outside Hicham El Guerrouj's iconic world record of 3:26.00, which has stood as one of athletics' greatest benchmarks for more than a quarter of a century.

What makes Kerr's split so extraordinary is the context in which it was achieved.

Unlike a dedicated 1,500m race, Kerr wasn't running to the finish line when he reached 1,500 metres. He still had another 109 metres remaining before completing the mile. Throughout the race, he had to carefully distribute his effort, knowing there was still significant work left after crossing the traditional 1,500m distance.

His world-record mile required approximately 724 strides, each averaging about 2.22 metres in length. By the time he reached the 1,500m split, he still had enough energy reserved to launch one final charge toward the mile finish, meaning he could not afford to completely exhaust himself at that point.

That reality has fuelled growing excitement across the athletics community.

Imagine Kerr lining up for a race built solely around the 1,500m. With elite pacemakers setting the perfect rhythm from the gun, competitors pushing the pace all the way to the finish, and no need to save anything for an additional 109 metres, the conditions would be dramatically different. Every stride, every surge and every ounce of energy could be devoted exclusively to chasing one target—the world record.

Many athletics experts believe that under those ideal circumstances, bridging the remaining 1.62 seconds is far from impossible. In fact, they see it as a realistic challenge for an athlete who has consistently demonstrated remarkable finishing speed, tactical intelligence and the ability to perform under immense pressure.

Hicham El Guerrouj's 3:26.00 has long been regarded as one of the most untouchable records in middle-distance running. Yet every era eventually produces an athlete capable of redefining what was once thought impossible.

After witnessing Kerr's astonishing mile masterpiece, the conversation has shifted dramatically. The question is no longer whether he belongs among the greatest milers in history—it is whether he can become the man who finally brings down one of the sport's most enduring world records.

If his latest performance is any indication, the countdown to another historic assault may already have begun.